Commander Who?
by CommanderCousland
Summary: Doctor Who!AU. "Oh, don't look so shocked, Lt. Alenko. So, what if I'm an immortal walking legend who travels through time and space and you're trapped with me? There are worse ways to die, you know!" The adventures of Commander Shepard and her reluctant companion, Kaidan Alenko. Includes other ME characters.
1. The Search for Kaidan Alenko Part I

**Commander Who?**

Doctor Who!AU. "Oh, don't look so shocked, Lt. Alenko. So, what if I'm an immortal walking legend who travels through time and space and you're trapped with me? There are worse ways to die, you know!" The adventures of Commander Shepard and her reluctant companion, Kaidan Alenko.

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or Doctor Who or any of the pop-cultural references such as Superman, Batman, Mr Incredible, Savage Starlight, Guardians of the Galaxy, Harry Potter, or any future references that I might make pertaining to a real-life brand.

Author's Note: So guess who started Doctor Who, knowing it was a mistake because she _knew _she'd get hooked but did it anyway? Yep, that's me. Anyways, I've always wanted to write a Mass Effect fanfic (right, because you haven't written enough fanfics amirite) and truth be told, there were three other potential fanfics. However, this one won. Mainly because of the intrigue it gave me.

So, a little heads up: In Kaidan's world, mass relays are not yet discovered. In this AU, the Citadel is just another place on Earth. The First Contact War has yet to happen. However, biotic power has been discovered, but is relatively new to humans. For example, Kaidan is considered to be one of the 'first gen biotic'. Of course, every other species exist, but humans like Kaidan are totally unaware of it. But Kaidan's not the only one to meet Commander. In fact, the first who met her was Almandine Alenko, his mother, which I will explain more in detail. As for Shep's origins, well, it's not exactly like Doctor Who's, but there is a story behind it. Any questions or confusions? PM me or ask in a review.

And although I'll be focusing more on future time travelling events, I do plan to take our little dynamic duo to the past (for example, there's an Elvis Presley chapter that I am _dying _to write), but if you've got any suggestions for past historical figures you'd be interested in Kaidan and the Commander to meet, tell me and I might put it in!

And in case you were wondering, this is 100% Shenko, no doubt about that. But there are two people that stay constant in the Commander's life: Joker and Edi, and I will explain why for Joker, and it is based on this little head canon I've had. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

_Prologue_

When kids grew up, they always grow alongside their heroes. From down the street, little Clementine grew up with _Savage Starlight_. Bobby next door grew up with _Mr Incredible_. Then there were those who were big fans of the old-world heroes. Your Supermans, Iron Mans, Spider-Mans, all kinds of 'Mans'…Whether you realized it or not, you probably had a hero, too. We all did. In fact, I'm sure that even that tight-ass Udina probably worshipped someone like Drax from _Guardians of the Galaxy_.

What did they all have in common, these people? They weren't people. They were idols, muses, legends. They were who we wanted to be. Some wanted Wonder Woman's deadly combination of beauty and badassness, others wanted the muscles and mystery of Batman, there's even a select few who just wanted the brains and strength of the Hulk. We all wanted to be them. We all wanted to know that deep down inside, we are all heroes, capable of changing the world with the blink of an eye. We all want to believe we are special.

One man, saving the world from the bad guys, then saving his damsel-in-distress, kissing her in the sunset, and living happily ever after. That's how it's supposed to end, isn't it?

I was a stupid kid. Can you tell?

But I did know a hero. Someone whose entire story I knew yet remained a complete mystery to me to this day.

Commander Shepard. To the majority of the world, of Earth, that name means nothing. But to the majority of the entire universe, stretched from the infinite line of time, the name meant everything.

Growing up, the only stories my mom would ever tell me is the one of Commander Shepard. They were never the one same stories, too. My mom _had _to be a fantastic storyteller with a large imagination. There's no other explanation as to why else she would keep telling these new stories every day, all with amazing outcomes and intrigues and seemingly impossible scenarios. Now that I think about it, she should really become a writer. She'd make loads of money talking about Commander Shepard.

Commander Shepard, a poor street orphan once thought to be Earth-born like us, but it turns out that she was from a long-lost species sent to Earth to be protected, fulfilling her destiny by fixing the entire universe's timeline by travelling in the Normandy, a mysterious spaceship that transcends the laws of time and space that we're all otherwise bound to. I've heard endless tales of Shepard's journeys to the past, the present, the future…from her saving the human race to other alien races, too, like these 'Turians', 'Asari', 'Krogan'…I have to admit, my mom was rather good at making up alien races.

One thing about Commander Shepard was constant. Everytime she met someone, they would always ask who she was and she would always answer the same way.

"I'm the Commander." she would say and whoever she met would look bewildered and repeat her words, "A commander?

"Not a Commander," she would emphasize, "_The _Commander!"

"Commander Who?" they would ask and she would always answer the same thing. "Commander Shepard. Don't ask for the first name, you'll never get it."

Even my mother claimed she never knew her first name and she was very close with her. I would sit for hours and soak up all the stories about how Commander Shepard would secure an alliance between the Quarians and Geth or find a cure for the sterilization of the Krogans or save an entire colony from this 'Thorian' that could control minds.

In the end of each story, I would ask the same two questions, "Mom, how come you know about Commander Shepard but nobody else does?"

My mother's smile never faltered after that question. Almandine Alenko had the gift of a smile that told you, _promised _you, that everything was going to be okay. A smile that would make you forget that there were such things in the world such as threats of war and violence and hatred. Her smile was home, the smell of freshly baked oatmeal cookies on a cool, crisp autumn afternoon. Years have passed and although my mother's hair would turn grey and her warm brown eyes grew wiser, the smile stayed the same. The 'smile of a young, innocent but positive child'. Everyone always said I had her smile.

"Because, my dear, I was one of Commander Shepard's first companions." she would always explain. My eyes would widen then. I would often asked a lot if that meant Commander Shepard is as old as her.

She would laugh and shake her head, "No, child. In truth, since you were born in 2151, you're older than her."

I would open my mouth, my confusion ringing through my ears. That's when my mother would explain.

In 2137, when my mother was thirteen years old, she almost died. Now, don't ask me how because she would never explain to me the details of _how _she almost died. She said that _that_, along with the story of the Reapers (I'll get back to that), was a story she would never tell me. But all I needed to know was that Commander Shepard, then looking twenty, went back in time to save my mother. Commander Shepard explained that her AI told her that it had been vital for her personal mental health that Almandine Alenko (then Almandine Cole, a little girl during a time of war in 2137, must be saved and protected). What Commander Shepard didn't count on was my mother's insatiable thirst for adventure and so, my mother, who had disappeared in the beginning of 2137 to the beginning of 2138, had been having all sorts of crazy adventures with Commander Shepard.

But thanks to Commander Shepard's trusty time-travelling ship, the _Normandy_, Almandine left the Earth and came back an hour apart. Although to her, an entire year has passed, no one suspected a thing. When Almandine came home to her family, they were worried because she had been missing for an hour. In that hour, they could have sworn she looked older.

To me, personally, I still didn't understand how Commander Shepard could be twenty when my mother was thirteen and still be 'no older than me'. But my mom smiled and simply said that it was useless to try and understand the laws of time and space for even the Commander herself couldn't quite explain it.

Anyways, 'how come you know about Shepard but nobody else does' was always my first question, mainly because it lead to her explaining how she knew her and I loved that story. To a little boy who all but worshipped his mother, it was not difficult for me to imagine her as some kind of space sidekick.

The second question was always a bit more complicated.

"Will I ever be one of Shepard's companions?" I would ask.

And this was how I knew my mother couldn't have been lying about those stories. Because at that moment, she would look pensively into my eyes and kiss my forehead fondly. I could see her eyes beginning to gather unshed tears as she would whisper, "Yes, but you'll be so much more than her companion. She promised to take care of you…promise me you'll take care of her, too?"

There had never been a more serious boy who spoke the words 'I promise'.

When I first uttered those words when I was around seven years old, I meant it. With every fiber of my being, every single inch of my heart.

But as you can expect, the brave and heroic antics of Commander Shepard had been my childhood's inspiration…and stayed there.

The older I grew, the more distance I found with my mother. At first, it was due to being sent to military school (on behalf of my father). Then it was because of 'Brain Camp' and the trauma I had.

I remember. After I grew angry with my teacher, Vyrnnus…You have to understand, I was a model student. I was never the source of trouble in my class, always handed in my reports on time, always said my pleases and thank yous and Vyrnnus was the first authority figure I clashed with. He came all the way from Europe. As I recall, Europe was the most advanced in terms of biotic abilities. No one took too kindly to him, mainly because he was a hard-ass. At first, we were all in awe of this World War III veteran. But it quickly became apparent that age was not equivalent to wisdom or kindness.

Anyway, when what happened…_happened_, it was the beginning. The beginning of the realisation that all my beliefs about being the hero saving his girl and doing the right thing…maybe they were just stories, y'know? Fairytales. They don't mean anything. Not really.

My mom would always try to reach out to me. When I wouldn't come out of my room for a long time, she always began her speeches with, "You know, Commander Shepard always said…"

And one day, I just…I snapped. I don't know what happened, but it was the first and last time my mother and I ever got into an argument. I'd always been so close to her. But the whole affair with Vyrnnus and Rahna made me face what I believed to be the real world and in my eyes, my inability to see it sooner was because of my mother and the fact that she had forced her little imaginary fantasy world into me.

"I don't care what Commander Shepard says!" I screamed. I can still remember the hurt in my mother's eyes. The second she entered my room, she had a big bright smile on. The kind she used to have before she'd tell me a Shepard story. But I immediately destroyed it with seven simple words. And I kept going. And going and going. "All this talk about the oh-so-perfect and heroic Commander Shepard…well, _where is she, Mom_?! Isn't she supposed to save the universe?! Where was she during the eezo discovery? The outbreak and spreading to kids? This Cerberus terrorist group? Isn't she supposed to keep bad things from happening, especially to you, her so called 'dear friend'? Well, where is she? How come she never visited, Mom? How come _you're _the only one who's ever seen her!"

"T-That's not true." she stammered, "David Anderson…he knows her! So does Udina, I know he does! And the President, they…they all do! So many people know her, Kaidan. I'm just one of the few who got to…I…"

"Of course, of course. And you never stopped to think about _why _you! What would she want with you? For God's sakes, Mom, you were just a kid! How are you so sure that the whole thing wasn't in your head?"

There are plenty of moments in my life that I'm not proud of. And had I the chance, I would take it all back in an instant.

I can honesty say that the moment I insisted that Commander Shepard, the one thing that used to link my mother to me, our hidden little secret, wasn't real, will always be the first one I would erase if I could.

I know that now, but before, I told myself that it was the right thing to do.

Mom had to realize that I'm not just a little boy anymore. I don't need fake fairytales. I was a military man. I had to grow up. I had to face reality. Life is not some story book adventure, it just wasn't. It was a harsh lesson that I was forced to learn the hard way.

You see, all of that happened six years ago, when I was eighteen. The whole Vyrnnus, Rahna and generally the whole Brain Camp affair stayed on a 'need-to-know' basis. But ever since then, my relationship with my mother, while not complete strained, had been changed. We weren't as close as we once were. Since I could only visit every once in a while, we barely saw each other and when we did, she would be careful with her words.

I hated it. Things _had _to be different now, I knew that. I was a grown man now and she couldn't expect my world to be turned right side up by a simple bedside story. In a way, it was also a harsh lesson my mother needed to learn. I wasn't her baby boy anymore. I grew up.

I never heard the name 'Commander Shepard' brought up since then and I never expected to hear it from my mother's lips again.

And I was right. I wouldn't hear that name from my mother for a long time. I would, however hear it very, very soon. But not from my mother, oh no. This time, the source came from someone I never thought I'd hear them from.

* * *

_Present Day-2175_

The day it all changed...huh. I guess I don't even really remember what date it was. Was it a Monday? Tuesday? Friday? I can't even remember whether it was warm or cold that day or whether or not I was happy or sad. I guess, in a way, it says more about myself than you think. If I _don't _remember anything, it was because I was that empty inside. At that point in my life, I was just a soldier, content in following orders. No, I _needed _orders. I needed someone to tell me what to do. Why? Well, I guess because I would be completely lost if I had to do something by myself.

At the time, I wouldn't admit it to myself. I wouldn't admit just how empty I was. In my state of mind, I was a completely happy person. I had a steady career, I was healthy, I wasn't that bad-looking, if I may say so myself. I had no reason to hate my life at all. It's still true, I believe. I had no reason to hate my life. But back then, what I didn't realize was that I had no reason to love it either.

It was an ordinary patrol somewhere in the Citadel. I was on leave and I stared into the sky as several cars whizzed above me. I can't remember much about that day, but I can remember thinking about how odd it must have been decades ago, when cars just stayed on the ground instead of in the air where they belonged.

Everything was just so peaceful and quiet and normal...

You can imagine my surprise when all of a sudden, an explosion was heard in the distance and when I leaned over to look at what had happened, there were aliens in suits running around and kidnapping people.

Now, back then, I didn't know they were aliens. Nobody knew! All we saw were people in armor and high-tech gear. Nobody would know that the Citadel witnessed the first open and public alien attack in 2175 until ten years later, when another incident regarding the very same people would occur once again (guess thanks to who?).

But alien or not, it didn't matter to me. All I knew was this: there was an attack, I was among frightened civilians, and I was a biotic. So I sprung into action.

"Everybody out, _now!" _I yelled, grabbing my pistol from my holster and preparing one hand with my biotic, ready to set someone into a Stasis or protect everyone with a Barrier. Whatever the case, I guided whoever was in Apollo's Café out of here, near C-Sec, at least.

Thousands of frightened civilians ran for their lives and deep down, I was frightened myself. I was a soldier, yes, but I was only a lieutenant. As of that day, Earth was never in any real danger (that the general public was aware of, anyway). So where did this new threat come from? Who were they? What did they want?

And was I the only soldier around?

That was impossible, but as the last civilian ran up to C-Sec, I realize that other than the C-Sec guards who, let's be honest, were pimpled-faced teenagers who have faced even less danger than me, I was the only one who could save these people and the thought was unnerving. How many deaths would be in my hands if I messed up? I couldn't afford to mess up, no. There are innocent lives out there. If I was scared, me, a man with military experience, it was nothing compared to what these people must have felt. People who probably just woke up this morning, thinking about getting a cup of coffee or a walk in the Citadel for fresh air, now all fearing for their lives and wondering whether they'll ever see their loved ones again.

"What the hell was that?" One of the C-Sec teens (ahem, men) asked.

"I have no idea." I confessed, eyes still near the explosion. I turned to the teen beside me. Uniform too big, hands too shaky and eyes too close to crying for me to feel safe. "Where are your superiors?"

"Like Captain Bailey? We don't know! They've been missing since this morning. We received a com saying that this was a simulation for us, to see how we would deal in a stressful environment but this..." the pimple-faced teen trailed off, starring at the remains of the explosion.

Corpses. Actual corpses surrounded it, along with blood splattered, fire from the explosion and the sound of heavy gunfire could be heard from afar.

"I don't think this is a training exercise..." I said. No, a training exercise would never, ever take place publicly or in a manner that could hurt the innocent. But then I realized that why didn't matter for now. All that needed to happen was to keep others safe. "Listen, get every one of your...friends and tell them that these people are counting on you, on _all _of you, to keep them safe. Now, I'm not saying don't be a hero. Don't go looking for them. I'll try to get back-up. All you need to do is protect the people. You got that?"

The kid nodded fearfully, clutching his weapon tightly, "I...I understand. But sir, how are you going to get back-up?"

I wanted to tell him the truth: I had no idea what I was doing. But this was a kid. If he knew that even I was scared..."It doesn't matter. All you have to know is I _will _get help and you _will _protect those people. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir!" he says, giving a pathetic version of a salute before trailing off.

I try not to think about all those people whose lives are in the hands of young, inexperienced and untrained young men.

As I made my way on the lower levels, I can't help but think of how proud my twelve-year-old self would be of me right now. _Look at Future Me! _he'd probably say, _being a hero and saving people! _

But present me realized something. That day was the first time I came close to being a hero. And remember what I said? About everyone wanting to be a hero? Yeah, it turns out the reality is much more complicated than that.

It's easy to watch heroes fight the bad guys and think 'I'd like to do that', but it's a completely different story to do it yourself. In real life, you _know _you're not the hero of some comic book. You _know _these people will not hesitate to end your life and you realize that there is absolutely no reason for you to be the hero in this story. In reality, you could be that person the comics who dies and gives the hero character development fuel later on in life. But I guess that explains it. Why so many people want to be the hero but will never do anything to become one.

When I get to the lower levels, I hide behind cover, scanning the area for any hostiles. I was alone. This was completely reckless and stupid, yet I went along with it.

Just when the fear and the realization of how serious and how bad my chances were hits me, I spot them. The same men in the odd black and white armor. Something was odd about them. They wore high-tech armor like I've never seen before. It looked stronger than anything we had, yet they moved as if they weren't wearing much at all, which I didn't understand. I wasn't wearing my Alliance armor, but they usually gave their soldiers the best of the best, especially with my rank. My armor was government equipment, new and updated, and it didn't look as efficient as theirs.

Their heads were of an odd shape. Longer and larger heads than normal people, reminding me of old-world, poorly-made doll heads. Was this some kind of terrorist attack? It can't be. The new worldwide Unity treaty had been signed not a few weeks ago! Surely, no one would be stupid enough to start a war that fast! But how else could I explain the high-tech equipment? The public attack on civilians? Or was this more than a terrorist attack?

I shook my head, reminding myself I had no time to ponder the reasons for this attack. All I knew was that there were too many of them. I only had one gun and could only hold so many bullets and although I'm a decent biotic, there's no chance I could take them all on my own. Still. I knew what we were up against. If I could just reach the Presidium, maybe...

"Kaidan Alenko." one of them said. I stood up immediately, not seeing that there had been one one of them behind me, a gun in his hands but not pointing at me yet.

Did it...it just spoke my name. One of those _things _said my name. I cursed, thinking I wouldn't be seen, but I immediately put my barrier up.

"This is the one." he (she?) said, "Take him."

In a single second, everything changed. I remembered thinking, _'So this is it. This is how I die.'_

Twelve-year-old me might have refused that notion. Twelve-year-old-me, stupid kid he was, would have probably fought to the death and kept telling himself even until his very last breath that he would make it. Twenty-four-year-old-me, however, was far less optimistic.

But that didn't stop me from fighting. I immediately Threw him away, then ran as fast as I could, all the while avoiding the bullets. Luckily for me, I was wearing normal clothes so it was easy for me to move.

I thought about running upstairs, but then I remembered I had to at least lead them away from C-Sec. I might not survive, but those people still had a chance. So I ran to the opposite side and went into an elevator, pressing the button towards the docks. Maybe I could try to find a ride, get help somewhere. This whole disappearing act of Captain Bailey and all superior officers...that can't be a coincidence. I had no choice but to report to Alliance HQ.

This was all just so...surreal. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I was unsure about those kids earlier, for not having any experience. But how was I any different? Yes, I had training and an education to boot. But a secret nobody tells you is that no amount of training can ever prepare you for what's really out there. When it happens, it just happens and if you don't act fast, you're dead.

The entire scene replayed it my head and that's when I noticed something. When I escaped, I didn't hear gunfire. They didn't shoot. So, they're looking for _me _specifically and they didn't shoot...whatever reason they want me for, they needed me alive. But why me? What makes me so special? Like I said, I was a decent biotic but nowhere near the best. That title belonged to this haughty little overachiever I knew in Brain Camp. Never talked to her. Then again, no one talked to her. We mocked her, calling her the Ice Queen. Maybe they got her, too...Or was this because of what happened with Vyrnnus?

I leaned against the walls of the elevator, letting myself slide to the ground until I sat, allowing myself a few moments of silence, waiting until I reached the lower docks. The elevator's moving slower than usual (and that's saying something considering the elevators here), but every second was a second closer to me needing to figure something out.

It was great irony, you see. Because I distinctly remember wondering whether or not I will ever hear a friendly voice ever again.

And a few seconds later...

"Nasty business, those batarians, aren't they?"

"Gah!" I jumped at the sound of a voice sitting right beside me. I pointed my gun at the voice, ready to shoot, but then I realized that it wasn't one of them beside me, but a woman.

A...rather unusually calm woman, given the circumstances. She just sat on the ground like me, arms over her knees carelessly, one hand holding a red apple and one hand covered in an odd glove. Hey, where'd she get that? The grocery was all the way over in the western part of the Citadel. Wait, not important!

"Are you done? Pointing the gun at me, I mean?" she asked, not showing an ounce of fear at having a gun pointed at her face, or a biotic so close to her.

How did she get here? How did I _not _notice her beside me?

"Um, yeah. Sorry." I apologized and pulled the gun away from her face. "I'm sorry, m'am, but you have to join the other civilians near C-Sec, it's too dangerous here!" I insist, grabbing her arm and preparing to escort her there, but she pulls her arm back and with her gloved hand, she opens her palm and shows a burst of purple energy. So, she's a biotic, too? I have to admit, I was relieved. But still. I didn't know her and I didn't know how she could be so calm.

"Believe me. I can handle danger." she smirks cockily, "And besides. You need me. But hey, no worries. I get it. Alien attack going on, being responsible for the lives of thousands involved? I'd be pretty jumpy and suspicious, too, in your place." she says, waving it off before taking a bite out of the apple in her hand.

"Alien attack?" I repeated, "There's no such thing as aliens."

The woman laughed. Very, very hard, as if I just told her the best joke she will ever hear. I even catch her wiping a tear, "No such thing as-HA! That's hilarious! You should be some kind of stand up comedian! Ooh, I should introduce you to Joker. Oh, man, if I'm laughing my ass about this, I can only imagine _his _reaction!"

I...what?

"What makes you think this is an alien attack?" I ask, completely ignoring my instincts to get away from the crazy woman.

"I don't think. I _know_." she answers just before pushing herself upwards, "And I know because I know what they're after."

When she pulls herself up, she stood right under the light and I was able to see her better. She had brown hair, really light brown hair, almost bordering on blonde. She had fair skin, lighter than mine, yet her face was gently freckled. Not overly so, but evident when you look especially around her nose and cheeks. Her eyes had definitely been odd. They were dark, but definitely not black or brown…it took me a while to see properly and I couldn't believe it when I did. Violet eyes? A very deep shade of violet, almost like the color of her own biotics.

"I know what they're after. They're after me." I say, waiting for an explanation.

The woman tilted her head curiously, "Really? You?"

Suddenly, she wasn't looking at me anymore. She held her chin up with one hand and put the other on her hip and began pacing back and forth, looking everywhere, up, down, sideways, anywhere but me and began to talk to herself. "Huh, so he thinks they're after him? That's odd. Why would they be after him? Maybe he's confused. Terrified humans are often prone to confusion, so maybe that's why. Then again, he doesn't seem like he's the easily scared type of guy. He's a biotic, so he has to have had some training. Hmm. Weird. This changes things..."

"Changes things?" I repeated, snapping her out of this weird little bubble she was in "What do you mean? What exactly do you know? How do you even know so much?"

She opened her mouth to answer, then as if she realized she could have committed a mistake, she shut it close. "Um, maybe it's best that I tell you afterwards. After all, too much information can make the brain go fuzzy, especially your brains, your peoples' brains are awfully sensitive which is weird considering how impressive your species are in general. Oh, well, we can't all be geniuses, I guess. Anyway, listen, uh...Strange Man They're After, I'm not sure why you think that you're the one they're after, but since I could use an extra pair of hands, you can help me get rid of them. Come along, now!"

"What?" I asked. I was completely confused and quite frankly, sort of terrified, but this woman kept bouncing about like she was hopped up on caffeine and didn't seem to give a rat's ass on what I thought and distracted me. "Wait, what do you mean 'your people'? 'Your species'? And why should I help you? I don't even know you!"

"Neither do I! But I'm taking leaps of faith, aren't I?" she asks, looking at me.

Suddenly, those years of military training and my mom's own training of turning me into a gentlemen kicks and and I find myself flushing, almost ashamed of myself, "Kaidan. Kaidan Alenko." I was tempted to follow that with 'Lieutenant', but given the fact that I was following what could be a crazy woman, I thought that Anderson wouldn't mind if I kept my mouth shut this one time.

"Oh...OH!" she exclaimed and suddenly her entire demeanor changes. If I thought she was some kind of hyperactive chipmunk before, it was nothing compared to now. Her wide eyes were filled with excitement. "Oh, Kaidan Alenko! I can't...it's you...oh, my God, I didn't think today would be the day..."

"What are you-I'm sorry, do we know each other?" I ask. I was eager and desperate for answers, but all I could see in the woman was her smile. That smile was soft and small and she looked at me far too fondly for someone I just met. But somehow, I didn't mind.

The next thing she does is grab my hand and I fall, surprised by her strength, then I realized she was just shaking my hand, firmer than I thought and faster than I was ready for. "It's nice to finally meet you, Kaidan. I'm the Commander."

"Commander?" I asked skeptically. A brief flash of panic came to me and I almost went into 'saluting' stance, until I realized something. "Commander who? I'm pretty sure I would have been informed if…"

"I'm not a commander. I'm _the _Commander."

Wait. That sounds awfully familiar.

"Although if you want to get into specifics, the name's Shepard. Commander Shepard."

Like I said, I can never remember the exact details of that day. I can only remember little things that stood out. But what I will never forget was the very first thought that came to my mind as soon as she revealed her identity:

I think I preferred Commander Who...

* * *

AN: So that's the beginning of the great Commander Shepard and her reluctant side-kick, Kaidan Alenko. Are you excited? Cause I sure as hell am!

Now about Kaidan. He may seem OC here, but that's done purposely. Remember that the memories from Brain Camp are still relatively 'fresh' in his mind. In my opinion, that kind of experience is enough to mess someone up royally. It's enough to turn an optimistic, romantic boy with stars in his eyes into a cold and pessimistic ice cube. Not saying that Kaidan's a complete ice cube. You can see he still cares for people and deep down, no matter how he tries to hide it, the little Twelve Year Old Kaidan is still there somewhere, but it might take the right person to let him see it again. As for his relationship with his mother, I imagine you know that it's very important. The Alenkos, yes including Kaidan's dad, have had (or will have) a huge impact on the Commander's life who, despite her eccentric and odd self, is actually a closed book.


	2. The Search for Kaidan Alenko Part II

**Commander Who?**

Doctor Who!AU. "Oh, don't look so shocked, Lt. Alenko. So, what if I'm an immortal walking legend who travels through time and space and you're trapped with me? There are worse ways to die, you know!" The adventures of Commander Shepard and her reluctant companion, Kaidan Alenko.

* * *

So, imagine this for a moment, if you will: your whole childhood can be summed up by a fictional character (don't lie to me, I'm pretty sure we're all in the same boat). It may not even be one! It can be a plethora of fictional characters. From books, movies, shows, games, anything. At some point in your life, you must have imagined what it must be like to be by that character's side. You and your beloved favorite fictional character, fighting crime side-by-side. It's the ultimate dream for most kids (and some adults, let's be honest).

Given that dream, I should have been excited, right?

Except I'm not a kid. I've stopped dreaming the impossible. Yet _here _she was, a woman claiming to be my dream come true. This couldn't be real. It's impossible.

_Commander…Shepard…_

"Don't bother asking for my first name, you'll never get it." she says immediately, coming into full circle with her traditional words.

Well, here's the thing. I was standing beside my favorite childhood fictional hero. _Fictional_. Sure, it seemed real to me! I mean, my mom said that the reason she knew about the Commander was because she used to be a companion of the Commander herself.

But that was just her making the story seem more realistic and alive, wasn't it? It's what I've always thought because it's what made sense.

What didn't make sense was that I was standing in front of a fictional legend.

"Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost?" she asks. Instantly, the blur of her blue coat stops and becomes clear and focus as she looks at me.

"Did my mom put you up to this? Because it's not funny!" I said angrily. Looking offended, the woman was about to retort until the elevator rocked to the left and I held on to the bars while she held on the ones on the other side. I would've asked her what happened, except I had no intentions of trusting her.

But the woman, what a brilliant actress she must have been, looked confused at my insinuation. "What do you mean? There's no reason a mother would set you up!"

"Why else would you be named Commander Shepard?!" I yelled back.

"I don't know!" she bursted, "Maybe because _my _mother is called that?! Well, probably. Commander's not my actual name, you know! It's just a-ah! It's just a title!"

The elevator rocks again and this time, it drops faster than I ever could have imagined. My body was tied to the ceiling as the elevator dropped quickly. When it finally reached the bottom, I crashed to the ground. Fortunately, I had the instinct of putting my arms in front of me to at least shield my face from the blow.

As I looked beside me, the Comman-the woman was not as lucky. She fell on her back and when I looked at her, she had a hand behind her head, trying to pull herself up.

"Well, that was…fun." she said dryly. But she wasted no time in getting up, unlike myself. I was still recovering from the shock of falling down so fast. I'm amazed she recovered so fast. She went towards me, trying to pull me up and I'm ashamed to admit I snapped at her.

"Don't!" I said, refusing her help, "I can get up on my own."

I could have sworn that the woman almost looked hurt, but then she bit her inner cheek and tilted her head, as if she were studying me.

"You got trust issues, don't you, Kai?" she clarified. The use of a nickname caught me off guard. My own friends never even had nicknames for me. Hell, Rahna never had a nickname for me and she was my girlfriend for a short time. And this complete stranger gives me one.

"No, I just don't trust women who play cruel jokes on me during a time of crisis." I sneered, "Now answer my question. Did my mother set me up?"

At first, the woman sputtered nervously. To play it as some sort of joke, she laughed, "The nerve of humans! Aliens are taken over and looking for you and you're asking personal questions!"

"'Humans'. As if you're not one."

"Never said I was." she answered. I still didn't budge, not believing her. Finally she caved in, "And how would I know your mother? I know a lot of peoples' mothers. I even know a lot of peoples' mothers' mothers, but that's another story. Your mother could be one of the billions of mothers or future mothers I probably know, what makes her so special that I'd remember her?"

"Hmm, I don't know, maybe because she hired you to pull a prank?"

"Wait a second." she said, "You really think I'd go through all this to pull a prank? That your own mother would try to prank you?"

I paused. Okay, okay, I knew it sounded ridiculous before I even suggested it! But this whole situation was ridiculous! The only plausible explanation was far from realistic, and I wracked my brain for another explanation.

"…Okay, fine, you got me there. I guess there's no way you can be _the _Commander Shepard from my mother's stories. They're just stories!"

She gasped, feigning offense, "I am shocked and offended, sir! I am as real as they come!"

Well, she may be real. I admit, given her personality and the way she acts, I'm almost inclined to believe her. Just like my mother said, there always was this aura about Shepard. That you could trust her with your life. Somehow, a part of me wanted to, but the logical part of me, the part that grew stronger ever since Brain Camp, told me otherwise. She can't be Commander Shepard. No matter how much she resembled her.

My mother never did get into much detail on what the Commander looked like. Mainly because my mother always was substance over style. All she spoke of the Commander were of her 'interesting eyes' and the rumors that according to the Commander's species, whatever color you see them in corresponded to however would eventually feel about them. She explained that although feelings change, the most dominant ones, be they in the past, present or future, would reflect in whatever color you saw. For example, to her, the Commander's eyes were of a bright, golden copper brown color. To most of the Commander's friends, her eyes had always been that color, or so my mother says. A warm, friendly color. She would also say that her enemies would see the Commander's eyes as either red or a terrifying, bottomless pitch black.

All I saw were violet eyes. I don't think my mother ever mentioned exactly what violet eyes meant. Anyway, plenty of people had unusual eye color these days. Yellow, pink, orange. Most were the result of the latest technology in surgery. I wouldn't be surprise if violet was a new trend.

But aside from the eyes, I never did know anything else. My mother focused more on the Commander's personality. According to her, the Commander may be just the most passionate, caring and bravest woman she will ever meet. The Commander laughed in the most dangerous and life-threatening situations. My mother once explained how they met a Krogan, a race of aliens who were basically bread to kill and were huge, twice hers and the Commander's size, yet only ten minutes after meeting their first one, the Commander had done two things: head butted the Krogan (which apparently, for Krogan, was the ultimate sign of ballsy-ness) and later challenged said Krogan to a drinking game.

Seriousness was apparently not in the Commander's personality. Along with the tendency to laugh at everything, the Commander was hyper, even by her people's standards. She had an amazing ability to stay positive and jump around. My mother described her to be like one of those Mexican jumping beans, if it had been injected with adrenaline, then fed coffee, then set on fire. Apparently, this energy she had was contagious. Stay around her long enough and you'll find yourself becoming unusually perky.

Hence the reason she's had so many loyal companions over the years. According to mother, negativity and general boredom was a universal thing. Even aliens from the deepest pits of outer space enjoyed the fresh air that the Commander brought.

But that being said, meeting her for the first time was exhausting for my mother. It's exhausting for most people, apparently. The best way my mother could describe it was the feeling you'd get after way too many energy drinks. The Commander may evoke unconditional loyalty, but only after they get to know her a bit. Friendship at first sight did not come easily to the Commander.

And as the description ran through my head, I can't help but think that every word this woman said sounded as if it could have came out of the actual Commander's. The carelessness in the situation, the fast-talking, the tendency to babble, or to talk to herself in the presence of others.

"Oh, no, I am." she says, "That's me. Commander Shepard. I mean, who else can it be? What did she tell you about me?"

Before I could answer, she struck a ridiculous pose that would have made me laugh if the circumstances were different, "Did she say I was an incredibly beautiful genius with a wit and charm that is unmatched by anyone?"

"Actually, she said that you were an incredibly hyperactive arrogant madwoman who was a lab accident short of becoming a supervillain." I had to grin at her jaw dropping in offense, "…But she also said you were the bravest, sweetest and loyalest person she has ever known and she'd walk into the depths of hell to save you."

The woman suddenly lost her bravado smile and looked to the ground. She was still smiling, but there was a hint of sadness behind it.

"Funny you say 'walk into the depths of hell' because there was actually this one time…wait. What did you say your mother's name was again?" she asked.

"Almandine. Almandine Alenko. Well, before she was Almandine Cole."

In that moment, her eyes grew larger and she covered her mouth as she laughed excitedly, bouncing up and down, "Almandine? Brown eyes, blonde hair, button-nosed Almandine? Loves candy-flavored tea and chocolate? _That _Almandine? That's your mother? Oh, my God, Kaidan Alenko…Almandine Alenko…Kaidan Alenko is Almandine Cole's son, it makes sense! That's why Edi told me you were important! Oh, my God, it's 'Mandie's son!"

It was like watching a kid meet an old childhood friend. She seemed so excited and happy, but as always, her words just made me ask more questions, "Wait. So you _do _know my mother! How do you know she likes those things? Did you go through her FriendBook or something? Who's Edi? Why does it make sense? Wait, why am I important?"

So many questions, but she discarded them all. She stopped for a moment and looked at me, thumb and finger on her chin like before. "…Huh. I thought you'd be taller."

Taller? "I already tower over you as it is!" I protest, but she doesn't seem to listen. She barely arrived to my shoulders! "And wait. That's beside the point, how do you know me? How do you know my mother?"

And just like that, the nervous stammering woman came back, "Um…Well, I don't _really _know your mother, I mean, how much do you really know someone? Their thoughts, their dreams, their views on religion, politics, or which Hogwarts house they'd belong to…I mean, I don't know her from Eve!" she says quickly, obviously distracting me, "Hmm…I'd always thought Almandine would make a good Gryffindor, though. Or a Hufflepuff!"

"A huffle-what?" I repeated in confusion.

"Such a shame our generation doesn't know a thing about Harry Potter. They certainly could learn a thing or two from them." Shepard mutters, not really paying attention to me.

"You're avoiding my question. How do you know her? How do you know _me_?"

"I told you. I don't! Not really! I know _of _you! I mean, I may be clever, but I don't know everything! As much as I pretend I do." she insisted, but I wasn't giving up. I was about to come closer to her, until the ceiling above us collapsed and the debris fell before me, creating a wall that separated us.

"Kaidan!" she cried from the other side.

I almost called out her own name, except I still didn't believe her and still didn't know her name. I bent down and saw that there was a small hole through the debris where I could see her.

"Oh…you're good. Okay, good!" she said. When she first spoke, her face almost seemed worried but as soon as she saw me, it was as if she became instantly cheerful. I've heard of people with mood swings, but this woman seemed to take it to a different level. "Um…I need a favor, though. Could you hand me that glove?"

Glove?

I looked to my left foot. Her glove, the one she wore when she show me her biotics. But now that I looked at it, I noticed that it there was a glove, alright, but it didn't look like the typical glove to keep your hands warm. There were small circles on each digit and one large circle in the middle of the palm, glowing the same color as her biotics. I kicked it to me and grabbed it, but when she reached out to get it, I held it closer to me.

I quickly wondered why she would need a glove for her biotics. Didn't she have an amp? But those were questions best reserved for another time.

"Okay, fine. I can tell you know more than you let on about me, but not as much as you know about my mother. I'm not giving it to you until you at least tell me how you know her."

"Listen, we do not have time for this! Now, I don't know about you, but I already know my death and it is _not _supposed to happen here!…Neither is yours for that matter. So give me the damn glove!"

I blinked at her, realising what she said. '_Neither is yours for that matter'_. She sounded so certain. Too certain of the future. Could she really be who she says she is?

"Ugh. I knew _you'd _be stubborn." she exasperated.

"Me? What about you? You still refuse to tell me anything!" I protested.

"Fine, fine! I'll compromise. Wow. Getting _me _to compromise." as soon as she said this, she looked up to the corner wistfully, muttering to herself, "You really are Almandine's son."

"Ahem!"

"What? Oh, right! Okay, fine, _Kaidan Alenko_…" she says, slinging her large gun over her shoulder. Where the hell did that come from? She wasn't holding it when I came in. She wasn't holding a bag either. And she was dressed in some kind of blue coat, white shirt and black pants. The only thing she had were pockets and it was absurd to think that she could carry a large gun like that in her pockets. "I'll make you a deal. You give me my glove and you help me take these batarians out of Earth and I'll tell you everything you want to know that I can tell you without damaging the time fabric. I'll explain how I know your mother, I'll explain how I know of you, I'll explain who Edi is. Hell, I might even introduce you to her. But only if you help me."

That sentence alone made me want to ask a thousand questions again, including a word that she mentioned earlier, "What are batarians?"

Wait, now that I say it out loud, it does sound rather familiar. Oh, right…batarians. Mother mentioned how the Commander had a prejudice against batarians, but only because they were apparently partially responsible for her species' extinction. While they weren't the leaders of it, they still participated, even after the Commander's species recently signed an alliance with them.

Traitors and murderers. I remembered them being the villains I hated the most as a kid. Even back then, the idea of betrayal was always sensitive to me.

"Those things in suits." she explained. It's hard to see how quickly her voice shifted, suddenly becoming low and almost sad. Before I could ask any questions she shook her head and stopped me, "Ah, ah, ah! Listen to me! I know you've got a lot of questions, probably all including what I just said. I know you don't believe me when I tell you that I am the same Shepard from your mom's stories. I can prove it, but not now. Right now, we both have the same goal: get those things out of here and keep the people safe. Now, I've got the only thing that'll get them out but I can't do it alone."

"You can't?" I repeated.

"Well, no, I can, but I'd rather not. Saving the world can be incredibly lonely and boring on your own, you know?" she explains. Again, she's awfully cheerful for someone under these circumstances which could mean three things: she's sadly used to these sort of things or she's insane or both.

Now, she could very well be the craziest person in the entire world. Maybe mom told her stories to someone else, too, and they probably told it to their kid and maybe that's this woman's case. Maybe her mother knew mine, told her the same stories I grew up with except she took it seriously.

Still, she had a huge gun with her and she was a biotic. Whether I liked it or not, I needed her.

"Besides. If you really are Almandine's son, you could probably kick ass." she finished. Her grin makes me want to laugh a little. When I was a kid, I had no trouble believing that my mother was a feisty, adventurous girl who could easily defend herself. Even though she's an old woman, now, you could still see the same fire in her eyes.

But it also reminded me that I wanted to know how she knew my mother. So call it curiosity or desperation or both, but even though I didn't exactly trust this stranger and even though there's a huge chance that she's crazy, I accepted.

"Alright, what's your plan?" I asked.

* * *

AN: Confused? Good, now you know how Kaidan feels (insert evil smirk). All in due time, my pretties. Special thanks to FOODninja-321 (love the name, by the way) and FORD B, my first reviewers! Hope I continue to entertain! As always, if there are any questions, feel free to ask them in the reviews and I'll have Shep answer them in the next chapter! Any requests regarding a certain time period in the past you'd like the Commander and Kaidan to visit? Tell me! Because honestly, I need the ideas for that one.

Kaidan is, as I mentioned, at crossroads here. He wants to trust the Commander, hence that little joke he said about his mother calling her a madwoman who was a lab accident short of becoming a super villain, and part of him actually believes it. But I like to believe he's been in a dark place ever since the Brain Camp incident. You don't walk away from the people who once called you friend turning their backs on you, the girl you loved calling you a murderer or killing someone unscathed. This was evidenced by his outburst towards his mother. I mean, yes, it's been years, but look at it this way: Kaidan's whole life has been based on a romantic idea, then it's been broken and shattered, and suddenly his entire positive view on life is destroyed, aswell. In his opinion, what happened happened because of his childish ideas and he's trying to reject everything childish and innocent but also everything that's good about him. He's trying not to think for himself anymore, hence the whole 'prefers following orders' thing. Deep down inside, he _knows _Shepard's not crazy (well...not the kind of crazy he thinks, anyway) and he _knows _that his mother is too kind to play such a cruel prank on him. So why does he keep insisting it's a prank or Shep's just crazy? Again, he's trying to make sense of it. To him, that part of him whispering that it's Shepard is the childish, romantic part of him that got him into trouble in the first place. So, he tries to find a logical solution and this is the best he can come up with.

Anyway, enough with Kaidan's analyzing. All you need to know is that Kaidan's in a dark path. Had Shepard no shown up, he might have continued toward that path and become ruthless. But she did, and oh, the effect she'll have on him! It's already happened, you know. I've hinted it in this chapter. So anyway, enough blabber. See you in the next chapter!


End file.
